KMI panel split on Sunderland handball as no-penalty call upheld in Man City loss | OneFootball

The Premier League’s Key Match Incident Panel narrowly supported the decision not to award Sunderland a penalty for handball in their 5-3 defeat at Manchester City before the international break.

Early in the second half Elliot Anderson handled in his own box while challenging Enzo Le Fée, which would have given Sunderland the chance to level at 3-3. Moments later Antoine Semenyo struck again for City to make it 4-2. Separately, the Premier League said an independent commission has found City guilty of all charges from 2009-10 to 2017-18.

The five-strong independent panel, comprising three former players or coaches, one ProRef representative and one from the Premier League, split 3-2 in favour of the on-field call that Anderson’s action was accidental. Two members believed a secondary movement of his arm was deliberate. One of those still felt the threshold for a clear and obvious VAR intervention was not met.

Earlier, the panel also supported Manchester City’s third goal by a 4-1 margin. Although the ball struck the arm of Marc Guehi, they judged it unintentional and, as he was not the scorer, Antoine Semenyo’s finish was correctly allowed.

The commission found City had arranged sham commercial deals as part of a disguised funding scheme, with Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd paying the remainder of sponsorship fees. Sanction will be decided at a further hearing. Manchester City will now pursue an appeal, arguing the opinion contains material errors of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe.

Source: Sunderland Echo

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